Whiffletree-hook.



No 725,934. PATBNTYED APR. 21, 1903. J. E. COOPER. WHIFFLETRBE 1100K.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 15, 1901.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JOHN E. COOPER, OF TAMPICO, VIRGINIA.

'WHlFFLETRE'E- HOOK.

srncrrronnon formingpart of Letters Patent Nd. 725,934, dated April 21, 1903.

Application filed October 15, 1901. Serial No. 78,725. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN E. COOPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tampico,

in the county of York and State of Virginia, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Whiffletree-Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates toimprovements in whiffletree-hooks, and pertains to means for preventing the trace-hooks from becoming accidentally detached, which'is a common occurrence when a wagon is going downhill in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal longitudinal sectional view of the hook. Fig. 5 is a modified view showing my improved hook attached to the whiffietree by means of an ordinary staple.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates one end of a whiflletree, and'2'a sleeve or cufi adapted to fit over the end of the whiffietree and having a laterally-extending U-shaped portion 4, which forms an eye,

through which passes axing 3 of theghook 5,

the said hook being formed integral with the The ring 3 may be secured to the end of the whiftletree by means of an ordinary staple 10, as shown in Fig. 5, or in any desired 7 manner without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Secured to the stem 6 of the hook 5 by means of rivets is a flat leaf-spring 7, which is substantially L-shaped, its free end extending upward and normally at right angles to the stem 6 and adapted to close the opening in the hook.

} The numeral 8 designates a portion of a trace-hook. q

1 It willbe seenthat when the trace is inserted in the hookthe free end of the spring 7 will be bent in, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, permitting the trace to pass into the hook, after which the spring will close the entrance and prevent the trace from becoming detached until it is desired to unhook the same. The pressure of the trace-hook as it is slipped out will force the spring out, as will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, .and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a whiffletree-hook, an L-shaped leaf-spring member secured to the shank of the hook and extending laterally adjace'nt'the bill, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a whiffletree-hook, an L-shaped leaf-spring member having one end secured to the inner side of the shank par allel'therewith, and the opposite end of the spring extending laterally adjacent the under side'of the bill, substantially as described.

Intestimony whereof I aflix my signature .in presence of'two witnesses.

JOHN E. COOPER.

Witnesses:

A A. HARRIS,

FRANK DEWEY. 

